Zero 'g' Page 4

  It was Henry’s turn to jump, and he made a run for it. He fell into the air and thought he would just keep on falling, but he didn’t. He hung there in shock as he looked around him. Thankfully, everyone got off the airplane just before it floated its way into a building. He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to have been on the plane when it crashed. It looked terrible from where he hung suspended in the air. He saw someone, a woman, hanging in the air not far from him. She was clutching a young boy. Henry recognized her from the NASA building. Did that mean that the building had been evacuated? Was his father out there somewhere, too, floating around in the air?

  “Excuse me!” Henry shouted.

  The woman turned around and looked at him quizzically. “Yes?”

  “Do you know my dad? Jim Iverson?”

  She nodded as she shifted her weight to allow for a better hold on the child. “I do know him, yes. I don’t know where he is, though. There was a lot going on in the building.”

  “He’s my dad, and I have no idea where he is. I just jumped out of an airplane, and I have no idea what is going on.”

  “Welcome to the club. I’m trying to figure out what to do myself.”

  “Can I make a suggestion? We would have a better chance of not rising up in the air if we held on to each other.”

  “That’s actually a good idea. My name is Carly, by the way.”

  He went to Carly and took the child from her hands. The boy felt incredibly light in Henry’s hands; he could hardly believe it. Carly moved around him, and she then wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Henry held the child in the same way. Together, they could suspend themselves in air in the same spot without worrying about floating away. Hopefully, together they could figure out what to do next. They couldn’t stay out there forever. There was a chance their situation only would grow worse.

  “I’m Henry.”

  ***

  Linus McCoy was Henry’s best friend. They had been super close since they were kids. They pretty much spent every waking moment together. When it came to trusting someone, Linus could depend on Henry for anything.

  When the world decided to fall apart, Linus found himself on a bullet train, of all places. He was traveling on the bullet train to visit his father. He knew something was wrong when the train started to shake uncontrollably. Everyone on the train started screaming, and it was almost too much for him to take. He got up from the seat to take a look out the window. It looked like the end of the world. The train was just passing the area where the NASA building was located. He knew that Henry was not there that day; he was supposed to be flying off for a school event. Of the two of them, Henry was always the overachiever.

  It looked as if the train was about to be derailed, and Linus didn’t think that he should be on the train when that happened. The train suddenly went off on another track in a different direction. That was all it took for Linus to start running down the aisle and head for the exit. When he got there, he opened the door, expecting there to be a huge gust of wind blowing around, but there was nothing. The air was just still. He looked one way and then the other before he jumped. He expected to fall heavily and maybe break a few bones. Instead, he lifted up in the air and found himself floating.

  “What the…” He watched as many other people started jumping off the train before it went off the tracks and crashed. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and he hoped that no one was seriously hurt. He looked toward the NASA building and saw all sorts of objects and people suspended in the air. Maybe if he headed in that direction, he would be able to find Henry’s father and figure out what was going on.

  He started swimming through the air at a slow pace but making decent headway. The dots that he had seen from far away eventually turned into people. He went through a few groups before he saw Henry. Linus was filled with relief at the sight of him. He wasn’t sure how Henry got there, but he couldn’t have been happier to see him. The world might be falling apart, but he was sure that Henry would know what to do.

  “Linus! Oh, man! How did you get here?” Henry shouted.

  “Luck, that’s all I have to say. I can’t believe you are here. I thought you were flying out somewhere.”

  Henry laughed. “I was! I jumped from a plane, man. How did you get here?”

  “Funny you should ask. I jumped from a train. Do you know what is going on here? This is messed up.”

  “No idea. But it has something to do with the gravity. This is Carly, by the way. She works at NASA with my dad, and this little guy is David. We don’t know where his parents are.”

  “So, what’s the plan here, Henry? I know you must have one, so let’s hear it.”

  “We need to get close here, Linus. Strapping ourselves together like this is the best way to stay suspended for the longest.”

  “Yeah, OK, no problem.” Linus made his way over to the group and wrapped himself around Carly. It was awkward at first, but after a while, it became comforting knowing they were all working together to stay alive. That was what was most important, after all. They would stick together no matter what until the world got back to normal again…if it ever did.

  “Now what?” Linus asked.

  Henry looked over his shoulder at Carly and Linus. “We need to go back into the NASA building.”

  “What? No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Carly exclaimed.

  “We don’t have a choice. I need to find my dad. He’s in there, and he’s the key to this. I just know it. He would know what to do, how to handle all this. It’s the only way. We have to go back in.”

  Carly was silent for a moment. “I think I might know where there is a suit that would help me walk through the halls. Maybe if I could get to it, I could move around freely inside.”

  “That’s a good start.”

  “So, how are we going to get ourselves back inside? It was hard enough getting out.”

  Henry smiled. “Well, I just so happen to have a parachute handy. I think I know of a way we can get back inside.”

  Carly nodded. “OK, let’s do this.”

  Chapter Seven

  The four of them noticed a small window broken in the NASA building and squeezed inside with the parachute.

  They found themselves on the ceiling of an office in the middle of chaos. Not much had changed since Carly had been in the building except that there were a lot more people floating around in the air. The level of alarm around them was so strong that it put Carly on edge immediately. People were panicking and screaming, and it was hard to focus on moving around when there was so much going on around them. The child who was in her care just continued to huddle against her. He seemed frightened by all the screaming, and she had to wonder where the kid’s parents were. How did he find himself in the NASA building alone? She couldn’t imagine Rose in a similar situation, and it was in that moment that she was suddenly struck with fear. She had no idea what had happened to her mother and daughter. Were they OK? She wasn’t sure what she would do if anything had happened to them. She was powerless, however, for the time being. She couldn’t exactly float across the city to find them. She needed to get a handle on things here and try to put a stop to what was happening if she could. That was the best way to make sure that her family would be safe. Carly couldn’t allow herself to think about Rose, or she would go insane. Her mother would do everything in her power to keep Rose safe—Carly knew that much. There was no need to worry; she would get to them as soon as she could. In the meantime, she had a few lives already in her hands.

  There were so many items floating in the air from the offices. Carly had to dodge a massive desk that floated right toward her. As she turned around, a pencil almost took out her eye. “Oh, my God, be careful, guys. It’s dangerous in here.”

  Henry tried to avoid a chair that smashed into his shoulder. He cried out in pain.

  “So, does anyone have any idea what all this is?” Linus asked.

  Carly nodded. “If I had
to guess, I would think that Earth has somehow lost its gravity. It only will get worse if we aren’t able to do something to stop it. I have an idea, but I first need to find something to allow me some mobility. I’ll be right back.”

  The boys watched as she floated away from them and down a hallway. They heard some commotion that sounded like Carly was in a utility closet. It wasn’t long before she returned, dragging a suit behind her.

  “What happened?”

  “It was floating on the ceiling. I don’t think it works,” Carly answered.

  “How did you know it was there?” Henry asked.

  Carly blushed unconsciously. “I work as a janitor here in the building. It was in one of the closets I used for storage. I’ve seen the suit many times. I never thought I would have the opportunity to wear it. I thought that one of us would be able to move around easily, though.”

  All of them were depressed as the plan to walk with the suit had failed. Carly was at a loss as to what to do next. She had thought the plan would work for sure, and now they were back where they had started…well, at least she was.

  Linus looked like he was deep in thought.

  “What’s up, Linus? Do you have an idea? I’m willing to hear anything at this point,” Carly said.

  “Yeah, I think I do have an idea. We should still be able to use the suit.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “These suits can be used only if there is some gravity present, right? Well, I may know of a place where there is some gravity.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I think I have an idea. But I’m going to need to get to my house. I know how I can get the suit to work; I know where to find gravity.”

  “Seriously?” Carly said, looking in surprise at Linus. She’d thought she would have to figure out things all on her own. She was relieved to know that she wasn’t alone. Together, they should be able to come up with a solution to get the gravity back before any more people had to die.

  “I may be young, but I’m no less of a genius then everyone else in this room. I actually made a moonlike environment in my room; it mimics the moon, so it has gravity in it.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “No, I’m not,” Linus said with a laugh.

  “That’s great news,” said Henry, “because I think I know how to get the gravity back. I think I can do this, but I’m going to need help from the both of you. You know aerodynamics, Carly, and Linus, well, you’re one of the most skilled hackers I know.”

  Carly smiled. “Well, let’s get going then. I’m up for saving the world.”

  Linus looked around the room where he was floating. “So, why do you think this all has happened? What could have caused the gravity to disappear?”

  Henry thought about the conversation he had overheard between his father and Bill once again. He hoped that his father wasn’t responsible for what was happening. He didn’t even want to think about the consequences of that. He had heard enough to know that his father wasn’t up to any good, but he hadn’t heard the whole story, so he couldn’t be sure if it was linked. He knew his father had been working on the antigravity rocket, so that could have been where the problems began. He knew he had to get to his father’s office to determine more about what was going on. There could be a solution to all of it, but he wouldn’t know for sure until he got to the office. If he was lucky, his father would be there, and they could work together on a solution. That was the best possible scenario; he just hoped his father was still alive.

  “I have no idea what could have happened. I know NASA is currently working on a few secret projects. It was probably one of those where someone was dabbling in something they had no business in,” Carly said. By the look on her face, Henry had to wonder if she knew more than she was letting on. She worked at NASA, after all, and might have been privy to some information.

  Henry felt ill just thinking about it. Things were bad, really bad, and he wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He knew he had to try and do something about the problem. It would be the same thing his father would do, if he wasn’t already doing it. Henry wondered where his father was in the building and if he was still alive. Would he have been in his office working when the world started falling apart?

  “OK, team, let’s go,” Carly said, breaking Henry out of his thoughts.

  From the NASA building, the trio and the little boy dangling off of Carly’s hand headed out of the building once again and made their way toward Linus’s house and his mysterious moon room. They had to continue to use the parachute; it was really their only method of transportation at that point.

  As they made their way on their newest adventure, they saw horror and dismay all around them. It wasn’t easy traveling a large distance without gravity. They often had to dodge large objects to avoid being crushed. They floated by an area where they saw an airplane inside an apartment building. The sight horrified Carly as she wondered how many people in there had died a painful death. Flames were still spewing out of the building.

  Suddenly, Henry screamed, “Watch out!”

  Carly turned as a rocket soared right by them, causing a back draft that sent them spinning through the air. She slammed into a building, knocking the wind right out of her.

  “Are you all right?” Linus had floated to her and pulled her away from the building.

  “Who on earth would be launching rockets right now and for what reason?”

  Linus shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  All around them, it seemed there was just chaos and destruction. It was daunting to see. A part of Carly just wanted to give up. Really, what was the point? How could they possibly get through this alive? Would the three of them really be able to stop what was happening around them?

  “Carly, are you OK?”

  She looked at Linus, who had a concerned look on his face. She couldn’t fail them all. She looked over Linus’s shoulder and saw him hanging on to David. She had to remain strong, even though it appeared as if all was lost.

  “You guys really need to get moving. We have to get out of this area.”

  “What’s wrong?” she cried out.

  He turned away from them. When he turned back, he looked alarmed. “The White House is heading right for us. If we don’t move now, it’s going to crush us.”

  “Oh, no!” Linus grabbed Carly by the hand and pulled with all his might. They floated from the building to where Henry was. She turned in the direction he was pointing and saw that in fact the White House was floating toward them. We are going to be crushed, Carly thought.

  “Move it, guys.” She pulled David into her arms, and they moved through the air as quickly as possible. The massive white structure brushed past them, almost taking out Carly’s ankle as she floated by.

  “Oh, man, that was so close. Carly, it almost hit you. If you were a few seconds behind, it would have taken you out.”

  “Gee, thanks for the reminder.” Carly’s hands were shaking, and she thought she might have a panic attack. That had been a little too close for comfort. They were basically floating around in a war zone. How were they going to make it to Linus’s house? She wasn’t sure how much farther they had to go, but considering they had been almost hit by a rocket and the White House, she wasn’t sure what more they could survive. She hoped she wasn’t putting all these kids’ lives in danger by being outside. Maybe it would have been better to stay inside and wait for help. She took a deep breath. But what if help never came?

  “We should probably get going. We still have a ways to go,” Henry called out.

  “Thank you for saving me,” she said to Linus.

  He blushed deeply. “It was nothing.”

  Henry got them all hooked back on to the parachute, and they made their way to Linus’s house. After some time, they came across an old motorcycle floating near them.

  “Do you think we can use it?” Linus asked.

  They all surrounded the bike and examined it. It ran on what
was once called petrol, and surprisingly, the engine roared to life.

  “This is awesome. We should be able to get there in no time. But I hope we won’t lose all air from Earth’s atmosphere, as this motorcycle requires an air-fuel mixture,” said Henry.

  They all climbed on the motorcycle and headed off down the street. They didn’t seem to be gaining much steam, due to the lack of gravity. In fact, the motorcycle was painfully slow.

  “Hey, guys, I have an idea,” Carly said. Henry turned the bike off, and she jumped off. Carly tied the parachute to the exhaust of the motorcycle.

  “This is going to work, but we are going to have to drive the motorcycle backward. Do you think that you can handle that, Henry?”

  He chuckled. “Well, I guess there is only one way to find out.”

  They all got back on the bike, and Henry proceeded to turn the bike on and gun it backward. They needed to be going at a fast clip in order for it to be effective. Henry managed to drive the motorcycle by looking at the rearview mirror.

  “Linus, can you help me with navigation here?”

  “Sure thing, buddy.”

  Linus barked out directions. “OK, Henry, turn right.”

  Henry rotated the handlebars of the motorcycle to the right, thinking the motorcycle would go in the right direction, but instead, it went in the same direction it was going before.

  “No! No! What are you doing? I said right, not straight.”

  “I turned right! We have to find out some other way to change the direction of the motorcycle,” said Henry.

  Carly couldn’t help but laugh as Henry slowed down the motorcycle once again.

  Linus shook his head as Henry joined in the laughter.

  They started moving again, and Henry backed up so that he could make the right turn that time. Without gravity, it was practically impossible to turn the vehicle by using the handlebars and their body weight.